Applying for summer positions with bad first semester grades - can/should I give a transcript addendum? Forum

[ToasterGenocide]

I had some extenuating circumstances this semester and didn't do too well in my classes. GPA is between 2.5-3.0. I am trying to apply for summer positions and am wondering how to overcome these bad first semester grades as I apply for these positions.

My extenuating circumstances:
[removed]

So, would it be appropriate to send an addendum in with my transcripts explaining my situation, or are my issues this semester not significant enough to warrant an addendum? Would this benefit me or would it look like I am trying to blame my grades on everything other than myself? I know these grades do not represent me and I look forward to proving that next semester.

Does anyone have any other advice for handling questions about GPA in an interview? If it is brought up, is it wrong to highlight these extenuating circumstances, or should I generally say that I had a rough semester and am looking forward to turning over a new leaf this spring?

Any advice would be fantastic! If people figure out what law school I am at it would be great to not openly state it, I'd prefer it remain anonymous. Thanks for listening, it kind of feels good to get this out. Its really been a fucked semester for me, I'm excited to not have to deal with this much this semester.

edit: The job I wanted and was gunning for hardest didn't even ask for my transcript, so that was a miracle. Secured a position there for the summer, thanks everyone for the insight!

[merlin-]

For whatever it's worth. The most senior partner at a V10 once told me that he hates excuses for low grades, even more so than seeing bad grades. He also said if you don't meet the ground gpa they won't even look at the application.

That said, this is for biglaw. Thought you should at least hear one side.

[totesTheGoat]

So, would it be appropriate to send an addendum in with my transcripts explaining my situation, or are my issues this semester not significant enough to warrant an addendum? Would this benefit me or would it look like I am trying to blame my grades on everything other than myself? I know these grades do not represent me and I look forward to proving that next semester.

I think it would look like you were trying to blame your grades on anything else. Most hiring attorneys I've talked to (not exactly a huge sample size) have a strict GPA requirement, and wouldn't give much weight to the addendum. I would imagine, given what I know of hiring (having done some in my previous career), that any hiring attorney is going to be extremely skeptical of any excuse that doesn't involve the school making accommodations. If it's big enough for the school to take action, then they would look at it differently.

The good news is that it's only one semester, and it's not such a ridiculously bad GPA that it can't be recovered from. A 3.5 gpa next semester gets you above 3.0 cumulative.

The bad news is that it's probably too late to do anything about last semester. You may want to talk with the people that your law school makes available for students going through a rough patch to see if they have any advice.

Be this a warning to all other people who find themselves in this position in the future. There are people and procedures in place at your law school for when life hits you like a ton of bricks. Use those resources! I've seen professors, deans, and administrators pull a lot of strings to get students the help they need, whether it be modifications of classes/exams/due dates, letting the student drop a class, etc.

[rcharter1978]

It sounds like a lot of really bad crap happened so I hope its smooth sailing from here on out.

I wouldn't talk about your friend's cancer, I wouldn't talk about your professor's death. Mostly because you really have to explain how those things affected you, and that level of explanation means that you may be explaining to someone who doesn't understand. And all they will hear is "my friend was sick and a professor died" which, in a vacuum doesn't sounds like enough to explain away bad grades. That means you have to explain what each of these people meant to you, which is a lot to get a person to understand if they aren't in your shoes.

However, I think everyone can understand the incredible stress of having a parent that suddenly goes sick. Therefore its not something you have to explain as much. People know how their parents affect them and how their parents suddenly falling ill would impact their grades. So, if you do have to explain your grades in an interview I would focus on your father.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I really don't think addendums are a thing for jobs. They're really an admissions-specific kind of creature. If there's something you need an employer to know, you'd put it in your cover letter.

In any case, trying to explain bad grades is just starting off on the defensive and looks bad. Emphasize all your great strengths in the cover letter and don't address grades unless you're asked about them (like in an interview). If the employer has a strict grade cut-off and your strengths can't convince them to overlook that in this situation, your proposed addendum isn't going to make a difference.

FWIW, I think once you look beyond biglaw, strict grade cutoffs aren't so common (some federal gigs, but they often look at much more than grades).

[ToasterGenocide]

Thanks everyone, both for the advice and the kind sentiments. I guess another question would be this: if my grades are brought up in the interview, i.e. why they were so low, what is the best way to answer that question? Do I appear weak or like I'm making excuses by explaining the circumstances, or is it an appropriate time to mention these circumstances since they are specifically digging into the particulars of why I received poor marks. Thoughts?

Regardless, it looks like I'll just be hoping that my qualifications outweigh my miserable grades. I'm applying for relatively niche, unpaid public interest opportunities at the state level and two at the federal level, so we will see how it goes.

[rcharter1978]

Thanks everyone, both for the advice and the kind sentiments. I guess another question would be this: if my grades are brought up in the interview, i.e. why they were so low, what is the best way to answer that question? Do I appear weak or like I'm making excuses by explaining the circumstances, or is it an appropriate time to mention these circumstances since they are specifically digging into the particulars of why I received poor marks. Thoughts?

Regardless, it looks like I'll just be hoping that my qualifications outweigh my miserable grades. I'm applying for relatively niche, unpaid public interest opportunities at the state level and two at the federal level, so we will see how it goes.

Discuss your dad, but don't go too in depth into your feelings about it. I would probably not discuss the friend or the professor.

Everyone understands the stress of a sick parent, but fewer people will understand your specific feelings about the sick friend or the professor because those things won't affect everyone the same way. And they would have to understand a relationship that was specific to you. Most everyone has a relationship with their parents, but a lot of people go through life not having a close friend get sick, or even having a friend they really care about get sick. Not everyone understand a close relationship with a professor.

Focus on the one thing that you went through that most people understand....which is the illness of a parent. I can't imagine that people wouldn't understand how that might throw you off your game.

To me, the biggest thing you wouldn't want to do is have to have a long and drawn out discussion about it in order to get the interviewer to understand. Because then it does start to sound more like an excuse and less like a reason. But, you don't have to say much beyond "my dad suddenly got really sick during the semester" and most everyone will understand how something like that could affect your grades.

[totesTheGoat]

To me, the biggest thing you wouldn't want to do is have to have a long and drawn out discussion about it in order to get the interviewer to understand. Because then it does start to sound more like an excuse and less like a reason. But, you don't have to say much beyond "my dad suddenly got really sick during the semester" and most everyone will understand how something like that could affect your grades.

This.